How to Get Rid of Stretch Marks

Stretch marks, although a very benign skin condition, can be unsightly and lead to low levels of self-esteem.

Although most commonly associated with being a result of pregnancy, there are many other reasons why one may get stretch marks: Rapid weight gain, body building, puberty, medications, and underlying medical conditions.

Some people, even women who have given birth, can go their entire lives without seeing a single stretch mark, but some are just not this lucky. They can range from mild to wild, as extreme as appearing to be roadmaps on various parts of your body.

How to Avoid Stretch Marks

Family history certainly plays a role as genetics can determine how prone one is to the development of stretch marks. Factors such as skin elasticity are buried within your genetic code. In other words, if your mother walked away with a bunch of stretch marks, you’re likely to get them too!

So, can you avoid stretch marks?

Stretch marks are not really avoidable, per se, but there are ways to reduce your chances of getting them, or getting them as bad:

Maintain a healthy weight: Stretch marks can’t really appear if there isn’t a rapid stretching of the skin.

Avoid rapid weight gain during pregnancy: Much easier said than done when you’re growing a little human inside of you!

Take care of your skin: Moisturize your skin every day with a good body lotion and a gentle massage. This helps improve circulation which in turn encourages healthy tissue growth.

Take vitamins and minerals: Particularly, vitamins C, vitamin E, zinc, and silicon, all which help to maintain healthy skin.

How to Get Rid of Stretch Marks

Once you have stretch marks, you can’t get them to go away, but there are ways to reduce the appearance of them to be almost invisible. There are many over-the-counter medications that you can buy, but if you’re a nature nut like me, you’d prefer natural home remedies for stretch marks instead.

Try some of these home remedies for stretch marks:

Aloe vera: Aloe has been long known to be great for the skin and various conditions. Apply aloe to the affected area a few times a day.

Cocoa butter: Rubbing cocoa butter onto the stretch marks at least twice a day can help reduce the appearance of stretch marks in just a couple of months!

Vitamin E: Break open a vitamin E capsule and rub the vitamin directly to the stretch marks every day.

Egg whites: Using only the egg whites, rub them into your stretch marks and rinse off after about 15 minutes. Egg whites contain proteins that are very beneficial for your skin.

Lemon juice: Take the juice of a lemon, preferably fresh squeezed, and rub it into the stretch marks.

Coconut oil: Along with it’s many other uses, coconut oil can help you tone down those stretch marks! Rub some into the affected areas a few times a day.

Olive oil: Olive oil is rich in vitamins that help to even skin tone: Vitamins A, D, and K.

Castor oil: Although this remedy has been around for a long time, it is no folk tale! Try rubbing castor oil onto your stretch marks then use a warm compress for about 30 minutes.

What Will Work for You?

Of course, these home remedies for stretch marks will not work for everyone, but anything is worth a try when you don’t feel confident in your own skin!

What works for one may not work for others, but maybe you’ll get lucky and find one on this list that truly is your answer. Whenever you try a new remedy, it’s best to remain consistent with it and give it a try for at least a few months.

The hard truth is, you cannot fight genetics and getting discouraged over your body is not going to get them to go away any faster than wishing them away.

If you do develop stretch marks, instead of sulking over your new body appearance, learn to embrace it. This seems to be especially hard for new moms, but in reality, you traded your body for something so much more beautiful; you were not cursed with stretch marks, you earned your stripes!

***The home remedies in this article are not intended to replace professional medical advice. If you are concerned about stretch marks on your body, please seek the advice of a licensed medical professional.***